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UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024, Exam Pattern and Syllabus Download PDF

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 : Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts Civil Service Exam every year for prestigious positions in the Government of Indian, such as Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Service (IFS) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS).Aspirant need to clear three stages of the exam – Prelims, Mains, and Interview Round – to be recruited for these positions. The Preliminary exam consists of two papers:

  • General Studies Paper 1 
  • General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT).

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024

UPSC Prelim 2024 Syllabus has official released by UPSC Notification on 14 February 2024. Candidates should pass the UPSC Prelims Exam because it the first Stage of IAS Selection Process and eligible for the UPSC Mains Exam, although the marks scored in the Prelims will not be considered in the final merit list. We have covered the entire UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 in this article to help you plan your study strategy. Knowing the detailed UPSC Prelims syllabus can create confidence and make it easy for aspirants to plan a method to clear the UPSC Prelims exam 2024.

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 Overview 

Candidates preparing for the UPSC examination need to know the Prelims Syllabus UPSC. UPSC Prelims exam is the initial stage of the exam and is objective. Check the overview of the Prelims examination below in the table:

Overview
Category UPSC Prelims Syllabus
Exam Date 26th May 2024
Number of Papers Two Papers

  • General Studies – 1 &
  • General Studies – 2 (CSAT)
Types of Questions Multiple Choice Questions (Objective Type)
Duration of Exam 2 hours each
Total Marks 200 marks for each paper (Total of 400 effects)
Language of Exam: English & Hindi
Negative Marking  1/3rd mark for every wrong answer
Marks Counted in Merit No

UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2024

Candidates should thoroughly understand the UPSC Exam pattern 2024 before referring to the IAS Prelims Syllabus 2024. The UPSC Prelims exam has two papers. General Studies (GS) is the first paper for the UPSC prelims, and CSAT is the second. The Civil Services Aptitude Test is sometimes referred to as CSAT.

UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
Paper SubjectMarks No. of Question Duration
General Studies 1

  • Current events of national and international importance.
  • History of India and Indian National Movement.
  • Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
  • Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
  • Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
  • General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation
  • General Science
200 100 2 hours
General Studies 2 (CSAT)

  • Comprehension
  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • Decision-making and problem solving
  • General mental ability
  • Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) – Class X level)
  • Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level)
200 80  2 hours

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 Subject-wise 

UPSC Prelims detailed syllabus is available in this section. Candidates can review the complete General Studies (Paper I) and CSAT (Paper II) Syllabus subject-wise and start preparing for the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2024.

UPSC CSE 2024 General Studies Paper 1 Syllabus

The first paper of the UPSC Prelims Exam is General Studies 1 (GS-1), which includes GeographyHistoryArt and culture, Indian Polity, EconomyEnvironment and ecology, General Science, Science and technology, and Current Affairs.

UPSC Geography Prelims Syllabus 

Oceanography, Climatology, Physiography of India, Soils in India, etc., are important topics for the UPSC Exam 2024. For topic-wise detailed coverage of the IAS Prelims Syllabus for Geography.

1.General Geography

2.Geomorphology

3.Oceanography

4.Climatology

5.Bio Geography

  • Soil Characteristics
  • Vegetation Resources

6.Human and Economic Geography

  • Demography and Census
  • Human Development
  • Economic Activities
  • Transport and Communication
  • International Trade
  • Settlement

7.Indian Geography

8.World Regional Geography

  • Continents, Countries, and Cities
  • Location in News

UPSC History Prelims Syllabus

Ancient History, Medieval History, and Modern History are the major categorizations of Indian History. Every section is important to understanding the chronology of Indian History thoroughly. As per the past UPSC trends, Modern History has a reputation for topic-wise detailed coverage of the IAS Prelims Syllabus for History.

Ancient History

Medieval History

Modern History

UPSC Art and Culture Prelims Syllabus

Architecture, Classical dance forms, Folk dance forms, Mural Painting, Miniature Paintings, etc. are essential topics for the UPSC exam. For topic-wise detailed coverage of the IAS Prelims Syllabus For Art and Culture.

  • Architecture
  • Sculpture
  • Paintings (Mural & Miniature)
  • Pottery Tradition
  • Numismatics
  • Performing Arts (Dance, Music, Theater, Martial Arts)
  • Religion and Literature
  • National and Regional Festivals

UPSC Environment Prelims Syllabus

Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Mangroves, Coral Reefs, Climate Change, etc., are important topics for the UPSC exam. For topic-wise detailed coverage of the IAS Prelims Syllabus For Environment and Ecology.

  • Origin of Life Forms
  • Basic Concepts of Ecology
  • Ecosystem Functions
  • Population Ecology
  • Adaptation of Species and Interactions
  • Terrestrial Ecosystem
  • Aquatic Ecosystem
  • Nutrient Cycling

Biodiversity

UPSC Polity Prelims Syllabus

Fundamental Rights, DPSPs, Fundamental Duties, Judiciary, CAG, Attorney General of India, etc., are important topics for the UPSC exam. For topic-wise detailed coverage of the IAS Prelims Syllabus for Indian Polity.

UPSC Economy Prelims Syllabus 

Money and banking, Monetary Policy, Fiscal Policy, Inflation, Five-year plans, etc. are essential topics for the UPSC exam. For topic-wise detailed coverage of the IAS Prelims Syllabus for Economy.

Basic Concepts

  • Macroeconomic Concepts
  • Microeconomic Concepts

Economic Measurements

Money & Banking

  • Money Function & Classification
  • Financial Markets & Its Instruments
  • Banking Structure in India

Public Finance in India

  • Budgeting
  • Fiscal Policy
  • Centre-state Distribution
  • Tax Structure in India

Planning

Open Economy

  • Foreign Trade Concepts
  • International Organizations
  • Trade Agreements
  • Recent Development

Economic Sectors

  • Poverty
  • Employment and Unemployment
  • Government Schemes and Programmes

UPSC General Science Prelims Syllabus 

Science and technology, Defence, Space, Biology, Basic Physics concepts, Biotechnology, etc., are important topics for the UPSC exam. For topic-wise detailed coverage of the IAS Prelims Syllabus for General Science.

  • Science and Technology in India
  • Space
  • IT and Communication
  • Materials, Nano Technology and Robotics
  • Defence
  • Nuclear Technology
  • Intellectual Property Rights and Other Miscellaneous Issues
  • Biotechnology

Check out the linked article on the Indian Polity Notes Here!

UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024 

The following main categories comprise the UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024 that has been mentioned in the UPSC’s notification 2024:

  • Comprehension
  • Interpersonal skills, including communication skills
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • Decision-making and problem-solving
  • General mental ability
  • Basic numerical skills (orders of magnitude, numbers & their relations, etc.) (Class X level)
  • Data Interpretation (graphs, charts, tables, data sufficiency, etc.) (Class X level).

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 PDF

Candidates can download the Officials UPSC Syllabus PDF Download 2024 here to enhance their preparation for the UPSC Exam 2024

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 PDF
UPSC Prelims 2024 Syllabus PDF UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 Download PDF 

Important Facts about the UPSC Prelims Exam 2024

  • For each incorrectly marked answer, one-third of a mark is deducted; however, no marks are deducted for unanswered questions.
  • For General Studies (Paper I), candidates earn 2 marks for the correct answer, and 0.66 is deducted for each incorrect answer.
  • Candidates will be awarded 2.5 marks for each correct answer on CSAT (Paper-II), and 0.833 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer. This paper will qualify with a fixed minimum qualifying mark of 33%.
  • The preliminary exam marks won’t be counted into the final score (merit list).

The General Studies exam is organized in the morning shift, and the CSAT (GS Paper 2) in the evening shift on the same day.

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UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 FAQs

What is UPSC Prelims Syllabus?

The first paper of the UPSC Prelims Exam is General Studies 1 (GS-1) which includes Geography, History, Art & Culture, Polity, Economy, Environment & Ecology, General Science, Science & Technology and Current Affairs and Paper 2 CSAT is based on aptitude & comprehensions.

Is Ncert sufficient for UPSC Prelims?

For the IAS examination, NCERT books are essential. However, candidates should also read other relevant books that are necessary for value addition.

How many books are in UPSC Prelims?

There is no fixed number of books. NCERT is mandatory to start the preparation but some other books are also required to enhance the knowledge and sometimes it depends on your educational background and understanding of the specific subjects.

Can I qualify for IAS without coaching?

Yes, it is possible to pass the IAS exam without coaching. It depends on how well he or she studies and how serious & consistent the preparation is. Without any coaching, you can crack the UPSC CSE if you are proficient in self-study.

How many papers are in UPSC prelims?

There are 2 papers in the UPSC prelims exam one is General Studies (Paper 1) and the other is CSAT (Paper 2).

What are the subjects in prelims UPSC?

Geography, History, Art & Culture, Polity, Economy, Environment & Ecology, General Science, Science & Technology and Current Affairs are the subjects in the UPSC Prelims exam.

What are the passing marks for prelims?

UPSC Prelims exam has 2 papers: General Studies Paper I marks should be above the cut-off marks that are decided by the commission and Paper 2 CSAT is a qualifying paper that requires a minimum of 33%.

Do prelims marks matter?

Yes, prelims marks matter a lot because it is an entry gate to enter the UPSC mains exam journey. 

Is 2 months enough for UPSC Prelims?

Many IAS hopefuls might be wondering if it is possible to crack the UPSC Prelims in just 60 days. The answer is a resounding YES.

What are the 5 compulsory subjects in UPSC?

History, geography, Indian politics and government, general science, and economic and social development are all compulsory subjects.

Which degree is best for UPSC?

According to the data, the best graduate degree for the UPSC IAS is a Bachelor of Arts degree.

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